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Idea for Homeland Security college came from Syracuse, Sen. John DeFrancisco says

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From left, Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy in a file photo from July 11, 2011 in Syracuse's OnCenter. Cuomo proposed in his 2014 State of the State speech on Jan. 8, 2014 the creation of a homeland security college in New York state. DeFrancisco said afterward that he has been lobbying Cuomo to locate it at Syracuse University.
(Peter Chen / The Post-Standard)

ALBANY, N.Y. - Sen. John DeFrancisco says he has been quietly pushing Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Syracuse University in past months to put the nation's first college focused on emergency management and homeland security on the SU campus.

Cuomo mentioned the creation of a new state-run College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity in his State of the State speech today in Albany. The governor didn't say where the college could go, but DeFrancisco said afterward he's met with Cuomo's staff and SU officials about the possibility of creating a joint SUNY/SU campus in Syracuse.

"It was our proposal from the Senate that ignited this mention in the State of the State," DeFrancisco said after the speech at the Empire State Convention Center in Albany. But establishing the campus in Syracuse is far from done, DeFrancisco said. "The governor's got to be convinced. And I hope he will be."

DeFrancisco, a Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said the idea came from watching SU stand up its Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, a joint effort from the College of Law and Maxwell School.

Under DeFrancisco's idea, the homeland security school would be a joint effort between Syracuse University and the State University of New York system.

DeFrancisco said he's been working with the institute's director, William Banks, on the idea, and has met with SU officials, who have embraced the idea. DeFrancisco also talked with SU's new chancellor, Kent Syverud, about the idea.

"They are not only aware of it," he said of SU officials, "they are pushing for it as well."

SU spokesman Kevin Quinn could not be immediately reached for comment this afternoon. A Cuomo spokesman said no campus has been selected for the college.

During his speech, Cuomo said former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly would help establish the school.

"Believe it or not, there is no such college," Cuomo said during his fourth State of the State. "I believe this is a field that is only going to grow. Unfortunately, it's only going to get worse. And we want this college right here in the state of New York, training our people and training others from around the country."

DeFrancisco acknowledged the lobbying for Syracuse as the site has just begun.

"There's a lot of discussion that have to take place to flush out how this is going to look," he said. "There's no commitment from the governor that it's going to be Syracuse. But the proposal was generated from here. And it's up to us to put the final package together to make sure it's in Syracuse."